Sectional toy figure



Dec. 10, 1957 E. F. CONNELL SECTIONAL TOY FIGURE Filed Sept. 6. 1956INVENTOR.

EDWARD F'. CONNELL BY (W1 WM.

ATTORN EYS United States: at nt SECTIONAL TOY FIGURE Edward F. Connell,Northampton, Mass.

Application September 6, 1956, Serial No. 608,332 4 Claims. (Cl. 46-123)This invention relates to a jointed, sectionally formed or segmented toyfigure adapted to simulate. a reptile' such as an alligator or the like.

An object of the invention is to providean amusing toy figure which maybe operated by means of a draw string, the manipulation of the drawstring variously causing a mouth of the figure to open and close, thesectionally formed body to simulate the sinuous motion of a reptile, andthe movement of legmembers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy figure havingsegments for telescopically enclosing the figure within a carrying caseor box container of small size and from which the figure may be drawn bythe string to surprise and amuse a child.

These and other specific objects and advantages will be apparent fromthe following disclosure.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the toy figure and box enclosureembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the fore end member of thefigure;

b Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view of the rear end mem- Fig. 4 is asimilar sectional view of the rear member with the sectionstelescopically nested together; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing detail of the tailsections of the toy.

Referring to Fig. 1 the toy figure is shown with its body portionindicated at 1, a pair of legs extending from each side of the bodyindicated at 2, a fore end member with a plurality of loosely jointedsections comprising a neck and head portion at 3, and a rear end memberwith telescopically joined sections at 4.

As will be seen the figure is adapted to be drawn over a flat surface bya draw string 5 fixed to the nose end of the toy. At the users optionthe toy may be manipulated separately from the box container shown at 6in Fig. 1. In this view, however, it is shown as linked to the box 6 bya jaw operating string 7 having a ring 8 to which is attached a ringclasp 9 at the end of an anchor string 10 having its other end (notshown) suitably fixed to the interior of the box. The box 6 is adaptedto enclose the entire figure with the sections of the rear end member 4in nested relation as in Fig. 4 and the head portion retracted as shownby the dotted line position of Fig. 2. The hinged end flap at 11 of thebox 6 may thus be swung to close the open end to conceal the figure. Thedraw string 5 may also be enclosed behind the flap except for a smallend portion. The user can then pull the exposed end portion as a tab andcause the figure to slowly emerge from the end of the box. The box 6 isfitted with a handle member 12 and may be decoratively covered as shownby the surface ornamentation to simulate a small suitcase. The sameornamentation may be applied to the surf-aces of the figure.

Manipulation of the draw string 5 will cause the lice pivoted upper andlower jaws 13 and 14 to open and close as the figure emerges from theopened end of the box container 6. The loosely jointed sections of thefore end and rear end members 3 and 4 will also permit a sinuous reptilelike motion as the figure is drawn along. When fully withdrawn as inFig. 1, the box may furthermore be held stationary by one hand and thejaw frame section at 15 held by the other to exert a pull on the jawstring 7 and manipulation of the upper jaw 13 without the draw string 5.Alternatively the jaw string 7 may be disconnected from the clasp 9 ofthe anchor string 10 and the upper jaw manipulated by operating thestring 7 while holding a head frame section 15 on which the jaws aremounted with the other hand. It will be seen that the box may, ofcourse, be used as a carrying case merely for enclosing the figure orfor operation therewith as 'an added feature. In an actual embodiment ofthestructure the case is approximately the size of the conventional boxfor kitchen matches and is made of still paper stock.

The parts of the toy figure will now be more specifically described. Thematerial of which the parts are made may be a stiff paper stock, sheetplastic, or an extremely thin sheet metal. The nature of the stop meansfor limited telescopic sliding movement of the interfitted sections may,of course, be varied with the nature of the material used. In thepresent disclosure the various parts as shown may be made up from astiff flexible plastic material or a thin sheet metal having a suitabledecorative surface ornamentation.

The body 1 comprises a hollow open-ended box-like member having a bottomwall 16, side walls 17, and top wall 18. An overlying top panel 19preferably overhangs the sides and ends of the top wall. In the topopposite edges of the side walls are provided a pair of slots 20 forlateral extension of the leg members fixed to the inner sections of thefore and rear end members.

Referring to Figs 3 and 4 the inner section 21 of rear end member 4 is ahollow open ended section across the top wall 22 of which is fixed across piece 23 of the rear leg members 24. The cross piece 23 extendslaterally at each side of section 21 through the opposed slots 20 of thebody and is bent downwardly and rearwardly at each side to form rearlegs 24.

In Fig. 2 the inner section 25 of the fore end member 3 is similarlyfitted with a cross piece 26 extending through foreward slots 20 to formthe front legs 27.

The cross pieces 23 and 26 as shown are permitted limited longitudinalsliding movement in the slots 20 and it will be noted that the innersections are loosely fitted in the walls of the body for simulating ashuffiing motion to the legs as the toy is pulled along. The legs 24 and27 need but slight fiexing for insertion with the body 1 in the carryingcase 6.

The sections of the tail or rear end member 4 are adapted totelescopically fit together in nested relation within the body member asshown by Fig. 4. Each section of the tail is a hollow open ended shell30. At the outer or rear end edges shells 30 are provided with inwardlyturned lips 31 along the upper and lower walls. At their inner edges theshells 30 are provided with alternately arranged turned prong portions.As best shown by Fig. 5 the upper and lower inner edges of one shell maybe arranged with a pair of outwardly turned prong portions 32 and anintermediate inwardly turned prong portion 33. The next adjacent shellis then arranged with a central outwardly turned prong portion 33' and apair of inwardly turned prong portions 32'. Thus, when sliding intonested relation, the rearward shell 30 of Fig. 5 is prevented fromsliding inwardly beyond the shell in which it is telescopically fittedby prongs 33 striking prongs 33. As will be realized the next rearwardlyadjacent shell having prongs 32 and 33 would belikewise' stopped by itsoutwardly directed prongs 32 striking inwardly directed prongs 32.Itwill also be seen. that the outwardly directed prongs 32 or 33' bystriking the in:

wardly turned lips 31 will prevent separation or; shell 30" when movedto the'extended position offFig; 3. 7

Each shell section is thus telescopically joined and loosely linked toits adjacent sections. ,The innermost section 21, it will be noted, is.provided 'with central 'inwardly directed prongs at- 34 to form a stopfor an upwardly turned intermediate prong 33 of the shell telescopicallyfitted therein. Section 21 is itself of course linked to the body by theleg cross piece 23 in the slots 20. A tail end piece 31' 'fitted in theoutermost shell 30 snugly receives the jaw string 7 which extendsforwardly through the shells 30, body 1,. and sections of the fore endmember 3 andis anchored to the upper jaw 13 as will be described. Y

The fore end 3 of the toy, as shown byFig. 2, is also made up ofopen-ended loosely formed sectional shell members. With the exception ofthe outermost jaw frame section 15 these sections are not, however,interconnected for telescopic nesting arrangement. The inner section 25and open ended shell 41 outwardly adjacent thereto are connected forrelative shucking movement as by the prongs 42 of section 25 riding inslots 43 in the upper and lower walls of shell 41. Likewise shell 41 isjoined to an elongated shell at 44 by prongs 45 in openings 46. Thuslimited sidewise motion may be imparted to the movement of thesesections to simulate a sinuous movement. The elongated section 44, asshown,

preferably extends into the body member so as to receive the head framesection 15 and jaws 13 and 14 in a nested position. Frame section 15 isprovided with outwardly turned lips 47 to abut inwardly turned lips 48at the front of shell 44 and to abut lips 49 at the rear in the nestedposition of the jaws.

With the jaws extended as in the full line position of Fig. 2 the drawstring may, of c0l1rse,.:be manipulated to lift and drop the upper jaw13. The jaws 13 and 14 are opposed trough-like members, the upper jawbeing pivoted at the rear on a pin 50 of a frame piece 51 fixed at thefront of the shell section 15. The upper jaw 13 is larger in size thanthe lower jaw 14 and covers it in lowered position. Above the pivot 50in the frame 51 is a pin 52 over which the string 7 is passed. The endof the string is tied to the upper jaw 13 forwardly of the pivot andtHus a pun exertezrenstrrng 7' will cause 'the elevation of jaw 13 onits fp'ivot and opening of the mouth. As previously mentioned the string7 may be pulled when the head portion is held in one hand and the boxand anchor string 10, or tail section 30' by itself, held andmanipulated by the othe r hand.

What is claimed is:

A y fi u e mi imise an pen ended y her, a plurality of slidably andtelescopically interfitted tail sections extending feoin' the rearend ofsaid openended body member-,. a; plurality of similarly loosely joinedsections extending from the front end of said openended bodymem'bexiadteeid'rneiriber comprising a pair of superimposed relativelymovable jaws connected to the outermost section at said front end andslidably insertable within said outermost end section, means joiningsaid sections to thebodymemher including agpair of leg members looselyextending through the side walls of said body member and laierally ofeach side, thereof.

2. The struetureof claimlfincluding means operable from therearmostitail section. and connected. to the uppermost jaw for liftingsaid ja w :above the lower law.

3. The sti'ucture clairnlin which said jaw operating means is.releasa'bly anchored to an enclosure casing in which saidtoyfigure.;rnay. -be,total1y, concealed and a draw strin'giis lixedlftosa-idupper jaw'for theprogressive Withdrawal of' said figure-from thecasing.

4. The structure. ofi izlaiir i lin which the-uppermost of saidsuperimposed jaws; is mounted 011:2; pivot in a frame fixed intheoiitermqst ifore enldsection and ajaw string is-,fixed,. to, s aidupperjaw forwardly of said pivot, said string being heldin theflame-above the pivot and passing rearwardly to -extend from theoutermost 'rear end section for manipnlating the jaw from said rlearendsection.

References Citetlinth'e file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 596,385Dec. 28, 1897 1,062,129 1913 1,640,157!" 1927 2,035,308 v ,19362,278,894 Paulson- Apr. 7, 1942 2,683,953 Hopkins July 20, 1954

